Although I don't believe that QE's births were caesareans they could have been performed at the palace.

Other serious operations were carried out at the palace prior to this time they set up a room as an operating theatre - ie they brought all the equipment to the palace instead of taking the patient to the hospital.

According to the swedish yearbook Aktuellt från 1977, 1979 and 1982 all three royal kids in Sweden are born normally. Victoria is the only one born in a hospital, Karolinska hospital, since it was Silvias first delivery.

CarlP and Madde are born at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

And in another note: The king missed Victorias birth since he was in another part of Sweden and missed CarlPs since he was on a official visit to West Germany

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-------------------------------------------------"My feelings are all over the place." Prince Daniel express his feelings after announcing the birth of his daughter Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary

We were just discussing the risk of having a normal delivery after a c-section at work today (I am a midwife), and our Registrar was saying that the risks of having a normal delivery and the uterus rupturing is very limited, as opposed to the risk associated with a subsequent c-section. VBAC (the term used to describe normal births after a c-section) statistics are quite good in a lot of places, I just think that in many of the Royal situations it is perhaps a case of "you have had one before, just have another one incase anything were to go wrong." I read Sophie requested to have another c-section with James, mainly because the situation with Louise was so traumatic she did not want to relive it, and she also wanted Edward to be there. This is quite a common reason for having a c-section (previous traumatic delivery), which is a fair reason as a prior traumatic delivery can severely effect a woman's abililty to bond with their baby.

I also heard that Queen Elizabeth had her children naturally, it was just her mother who had to have c-sections. There were also rumours that the Queen Mother had ferility problems, though I am not sure how concrete those are.

Eugenie was breech, hence why Sarah had a c-section, but she also had scoliosis which perhaps added to the reasoning behind it.

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"I am yours, you are mine, of that be sure. You are locked in my heart, the little key is lost and now you must stay there forever."

Written by Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine in the diary of her fiance, Tsarevich Nicholas.

I read Sophie requested to have another c-section with James, mainly because the situation with Louise was so traumatic she did not want to relive it, and she also wanted Edward to be there. This is quite a common reason for having a c-section (previous traumatic delivery), which is a fair reason as a prior traumatic delivery can severely effect a woman's abililty to bond with their baby.

And she was not so young already (nearly 43); it is also a common indication for c-section - older mother, more risk of complications, as I read.
If James had been, for example, her fifth child and all previous four she had naturally, she could have tried to give birth naturally to him, but in her situation...no,no,no. Too risky!

And she was not so young already (nearly 43); it is also a common indication for c-section - older mother, more risk of complications, as I read.
If James had been, for example, her fifth child and all previous four she had naturally, she could have tried to give birth naturally to him, but in her situation...no,no,no. Too risky!

Yes, it is true that a lot of "older mothers" choose to have c-sections as it is deemed to be safer. After the age of 40, one's body does not labour as well as it is essentially "tired". The risk of ending up with an emergency section due to "failure to progress" is considerably higher than say if one was 25. (I hate the term older mother as I do not feel 40 is old, but in terms of procreation anything over the age of 35 is considered old.) IVF is also another reason for c-sections too, which we are to believe James was. (Some articles state he was a natural conception, other state he was IVF. We will never really know.)

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"I am yours, you are mine, of that be sure. You are locked in my heart, the little key is lost and now you must stay there forever."

Written by Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine in the diary of her fiance, Tsarevich Nicholas.

IVF is also another reason for c-sections too, which we are to believe James was. (Some articles state he was a natural conception, other state he was IVF. We will never really know.)

My mother's friend had IVF and gave birth naturally (Age 34, first child).

More premature babies: Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Cassius Taylor (although I read in some English newspaper an interview with Lady Helen soon after the birth of Estelle, that she had to have all her children a month early due to some problems with her liver)

My mother's friend had IVF and gave birth naturally (Age 34, first child).

It is rare but it does happen. They often tend to induce IVF babies earlier than other babies, also due to the fact that they are "more precious". I disagree completely with it as all babies are precious, but IVF is treated very differently. This is the norm for the hospital I work at, as well as surrounding areas.

__________________

"I am yours, you are mine, of that be sure. You are locked in my heart, the little key is lost and now you must stay there forever."

Written by Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine in the diary of her fiance, Tsarevich Nicholas.

It is rare but it does happen. They often tend to induce IVF babies earlier than other babies, also due to the fact that they are "more precious". I disagree completely with it as all babies are precious, but IVF is treated very differently. This is the norm for the hospital I work at, as well as surrounding areas.

In Sweden I would say that the norm is natural births even with IVF babies, but it's true that there are more caecareans and induced deliveries when it comes to IVF babies, the reason is due to the mother's age (older mothers) and as doctors know the pregnancy lenght in an IVF pregnancy and don't want the pregancies be more than 7 days overdue.

In Sweden I would say that the norm is natural births even with IVF babies, but it's true that there are more caecareans and induced deliveries when it comes to IVF babies, the reason is due to the mother's age (older mothers) and as doctors know the pregnancy lenght in an IVF pregnancy and don't want the pregancies be more than 7 days overdue.

I have read research that Sweden is well known for it's normal delivery rates, much more than the United Kingdom. I would love to visit a Swedish Maternity Unit.

It is true that the main reasons for the increased c-section number is due to maternal age. Women over the age of 40 do not labour particularly well, therefore they are not often given the chance to proceed to a normal delivery as complications occur.

__________________

"I am yours, you are mine, of that be sure. You are locked in my heart, the little key is lost and now you must stay there forever."

Written by Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine in the diary of her fiance, Tsarevich Nicholas.

It is true that the main reasons for the increased c-section number is due to maternal age. Women over the age of 40 do not labour particularly well, therefore they are not often given the chance to proceed to a normal delivery as complications occur.

My mom's youngest brother was born when my grandma was 41, he was full term and I think born naturally. He was the last of my grandparents' 6 children. But my mom was 43 when my youngest brother was born, and she had him C-section 10 weeks early because of placental separation, just like Sophie and Louise. My mom laboured for 30 hours; after feeling her fluid start to leak, she went straight to the hospital after dropping me off at morning kindergarten, and my brother was born the next afternoon.

I'm not sure whether this is the right thread for my question, but does anyone know how many royal children were born at home? Or are most of them born in hospital nowadays? I think that two of the Behn sisters were born at Martha Louise's and Ari's county residence, but apart from that I'm not sure.

__________________"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone". Audrey Hepburn

*"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy". Anne Frank

Reaching way back into Scottish royal history, Margery, wife of a Stewart, was delivered of her baby Robert at an abbey near where she fell off her horse while hugely pregnant. She died (probably of blood loss) and a skilled person at the abbey successfully delivered the infant, who later became king.
Margery was the daughter of the famous leader Robert the Bruce. Her husband was one of the "hereditary stewards" who eventually became hereditary kings of Scotland. The kings were elected in those days. Margery's son, born by caesarean, did become King Robert.
I see now that Biri already "announced" this birth in history.

I read in "The Royals" by Kitty Kelley that Charles was born by C-section, and that Elizabeth was under general anesthesia for it. I don't know the reasoning behind it; but the Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) isn't much bigger than me (5'4" vs. my 5'2"), and you try delivering a 7 lb. 6 oz. baby naturally at my size. Also, I am now older than she was when Charles was born (she was 22 years 208 days, and I'm 22 years 219 days). I can't imagine the prospect of having a baby at my age in this decade! I'm waiting a few more years to at least get married, and then I'll think about childbearing (even though I've been fertile for almost 10 years now).